Bearing construction



July 2, 1935- J. MIKULAsEK 2,007,021

BEARING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 5, 1952 iatented July 2, i935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEARING CONSTRUCTION John Mikulasek, Newton, Iowa, assigner to The Maytag Company, Newton, Iowa, a corporation of Delaware Application December 5, 1932, Serial No. 645,772

2 Claims. (Cl. 308-139) 'Ihe present invention relates to a bearing conturn is pressed into the stationary tubular housstruction and more in particular to a novel bearing or center post 49 by means of the enlarged ing for the upper end of a drive shaft as in the opposite ends 50 and 5I. This bearing body incenter post of a washing machine. termediate its ends is reduced to provide an elon- 5 Among the objects of the invention is to progated annular cavity 53 between its body and the 5 vide a novel bearing construction for journalling tubular housing or center post 49 for the recepthe upper portion or end of a drive shaft as for tion and retention of a wick or permanent oilan agitator or impelling means of a washing mapack 54. chine, The annular cavity 53 communicates with the A still further object is the provision of a porous bushings 41 through spaced openings or 10 bearing provided with a novel means of lubricut-out portions 55. The wick 54 is saturated eating the shaft and journal Wearing surfaces. with lubricant or oil to provide a permanent oil- The present invention contemplates the use of pack for lubricating the bearing surfaces through porous bushings permitting the lubricant to seep the openings 55 and DOIOUS Walls 0f the bushingsthrough the walls thereof to the wearing surfaces In actual practice, a Change 0f tempera-ture and 15 of the bearing capillary attraction will induce the lubricant to Further objects are to provide a construction pass through the walls of the bushings. of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and Mounted above the bushings and intermediate ease of assembly and operation; and such furthe upper bushing and a packing gland 56, are

ther objects, advantages and capabalities as will provided packing rings 5l This packing gland 20 later more fully appear and are inherently is provided with spaced tOOl-SlOiIS 58 fOr permitpossessed thereby. ting a tightening up of the packing when that The invention further resides in the combinabecomes necessary. AS Clearly disclosed in Fig. 1, tion, construction and arrangements of parts this packing gland s threaded in the enlarged illustrated in the drawing' and while there is end 50 of the bearing body and is prevented from 25 shown therein a preferred embodiment it is to turning by reason of a set screw 59 mounted in be understood that the same is susceptible of the end 50 and the upper end of the tubular housmodiflcation and change, and comprehends other ing or center post 49.

details, arrangements of parts, features and con- In the construction disclosed, additional lubristructions, without departing from the spirit of cant or oil may be applied directly to the `journal 30 the invention. and packing at 60.

In the drawing: At the upper end of the shaft is keyed or mount- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary enlarged view in vertied a non-circular driving head or torque-hub 6l cal cross section of a drive shaft showing an emas by means of a pin 62 or the like. This head bodiment of the invention. or torque-hub is provided with a slot 63 permit- Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal cross section taken ting access to the tool slots 58 for adjusting the in a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. packing gland 56.

In the drawing is disclosed a form of bearing From the above description and disclosure in construction for a drive shaft I of the agitator the drawing it will be readily apparent that the or impeller for a. washing machine which iS proinvention is admirably adapted for use in a wash- 40 vided with a sleeve 46 adjacent its upper ending machine drive, although it is to be understood This sleeve is preferably formed of some non-corthat the invention is not limited thereto. The rosive material Such as bXOne 01 the like and iS invention likewise comprehends other construcattached to the drive shaft in any suitable mantions, details, arrangements of parts, and feaner. tures without departing from the spirit thereof. 45

Encompassins the sleeve 46 are provided spaced Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim: bearing bushings 41 made 0f aporous composi- 1. A bearing for a drive shaft having a station or material Such as bronze 01' the like, Deitionary tubular post in which said shaft rotates, mitting passage of the lubricant. These bushcomprising a bearing member connected to said 50 ings are pressed into a bearing body 46 which in center post, a porous bushing connected to said 50 member and encompassing the shaft, an oil-pack shaft and rotatable therewith, a bearing member communicating with said bushing, packing enattached to said center post, a porous bushing compassing said shaft and seating above said mounted-on said bearing member, an oil-pack bushing, an adjustable packing gland for adjustpositioned intermediate the ends of said bear- 5 ing the pressure on said packing, and means for ing member and communicating with the bush- 5 preventing said gland from turning after adjustfing, packing seating on said bushing, and a packment has been made. ing gland adapted to be adjusted relative to said 2. A bearing for a drive shaft having a stamember whereby to adjust the pressure exerted tionary tubular post in which said shaft rotates, on said last mentioned packing. 10 comprising a bearing sleeve mounted on said JOHN MIKULASEK. l0 

